The present invention relates to a device for maintenance of vehicles, and more specifically, to a device for gauging wheel alignment such as alignment and inclination of a car's front wheels.
The currently used devices, particularly for cars or light cargo vehicles, are mounted on the vehicle's wheels after raising the vehicle off the ground to make sure the device is properly installed parallel to the tire. The operator must find the proper position by trial and error. Therefore, this process is inconvenient. Moreover, gauging is best performed, i.e., most accurate, with the running gear in its original position, but raising the vehicle alters the position of the running gear. Further, raising and lowering the vehicle impacts on the wheel flange, and thus the gauging device, which can result in gauging errors and in permanent deformations of the flange. In addition, mounting the device to the wheel flange requires an expansion and retraction sub-device, as wheel flange diameters vary widely.